Table of Contents

Guide on Fishing Piers and Platforms

The products shown in this guide are only intended to serve as examples to illustrate the accessibility guidelines, and are not intended as endorsements of the products. Other products may be available. The Access Board does not evaluate or certify products for compliance with the accessibility guidelines. Users are advised to obtain and review product specifications for compliance with the accessibility guidelines.

Introduction

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a comprehensive civil rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability. The ADA requires that newly constructed and altered state and local government facilities, places of public accommodation, and commercial facilities be readily accessible to, and usable by, individuals with disabilities. The ADA Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) is the standard applied to buildings and facilities. Recreational facilities, including fishing piers and platforms, are among the facilities required to comply with the ADA.

The Access Board issued accessibility guidelines for newly constructed and altered recreation facilities in 2002. The recreation facility guidelines are a supplement to ADAAG. As a supplement, they must be used in conjunction with ADAAG. References to ADAAG are mentioned throughout this summary. Once these guidelines are adopted by the Department of Justice (DOJ), all newly designed, constructed and altered recreation facilities covered by the ADA will be required to comply.

The recreation facility guidelines cover the following facilities and elements:

Amusement rides

Boating facilities

Fishing piers and platforms

Miniature golf courses

Golf courses

Exercise equipment

Bowling lanes

Shooting facilities

Swimming pools, wading pools, and spas

This guide is intended to help designers and operators in using the accessibility guidelines for fishing piers and platforms. These guidelines establish minimum accessibility requirements for newly designed or newly constructed and altered fishing piers and platforms. This guide is not a collection of fishing pier designs. Rather, it provides specifications for elements on a fishing pier or platform to create a general level of usability for individuals with disabilities. Emphasis is placed on ensuring that individuals with disabilities are generally able to access the fishing pier and use a variety of elements. Designers and operators are encouraged to exceed the guidelines where possible to provide increased accessibility and opportunities. Incorporating accessibility into the design of a fishing pier should begin early in the planning process with careful consideration to accessible routes and maneuvering space.

The recreation facility guidelines were developed with significant public participation. In 1993, the Access Board established an advisory committee of 27 members to recommend accessibility guidelines for recreation facilities. The Recreation Access Advisory Committee represented the following groups and associations:

American Ski Federation

American Society for Testing and Materials (Public Playground Safety Committee)

American Society of Landscape Architects

Beneficial Designs

City and County of San Francisco, California, Department of Public Works

Disabled American Veterans

Environmental Access

Golf Course Superintendents Association of America

Hawaii Disability and Communication Access Board

International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions

Katherine McGuinness and Associates

Lehman, Smith, and Wiseman Associates

Michigan Department of Natural Resources

National Council on Independent Living

National Park Service

National Recreation and Park Association

New Jersey Department of Community Affairs

Outdoor Amusement Business Association

Paralyzed Veterans of America

Professional Golfer’s Association

Self Help for Hard of Hearing People

States Organization for Boating Access

Universal Studios

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

U.S. Forest Service

Y.M.C.A. of the U.S.A.

Walt Disney Imagineering

The public was given an opportunity to comment on the recommended accessibility guidelines, and the Access Board made changes to the recommended guidelines based on the public comments. A notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) was published in the Federal Register in July 1999, followed by a five-month public comment period. Further input from the public was sought in July 2000 when the Access Board published a draft final rule soliciting comment. A final rule was published in September 2002.